Continuous process for the treatment of moving fabric webs of material

ABSTRACT

A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS REFINEMENT AND TREATMENT OF WIDE WEBS OF MATERIAL SUCH AS TEXTILES, WHEREIN EVERY UNIT OF LENGTH OF THE MATERIAL FLOWING THROUGH A TREATMENT BATH IS COORDINATED WITH THE QUANTITY OF PROCESSING LIQUID WHICH IS SNYCHRONOUS WITH IDENTICAL CHEMICALS IN AN INITIAL STATE THAT CAN BE EXTENDED OR REJUVENATED BY ADDITIONAL TREATMENT DURING THE EXHAUSTION OR CONSUMPTION OF THE PROCESSING LIQUID. THE PROCESSING LIQUID IS REMOVED FROM THE BATCH FOLLOWING THE EFFUX OF THE BATCH OF MATERIALS FROM THE PROCESSING APPARATUS SO THAT AS THE LAST OF THE PROCESSING FLUID IS REMOVED, A CLEANSING LIQUID IS INTRODUCED TO CLEAN THE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND REMOVE ALL TRACES OF THE PROCESSING LIQUID.

United States Patent 3,685,954 CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MOVHJ G FABRIC WEBS 0F MATERIAL Christian August Meier-Windhorst, Hamburg, Germany,

assignor to Artos Dr. Ing. Meier-Windhorst Kommanditgesellschaft, Hamburg, Germany No Drawing. Filed Sept. 2, 1970, Ser. No. 69,138 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 3, 1969, P 19 44 567.1 Int. Cl. 1305c 11/12 US. Cl. 8-151 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for the continuous refinement and treatment of wide webs of material such as textiles, wherein every unit of length of the material flowing through a treatment bath is coordinated with the quantity of processing liquid which is synchronous with identical chemicals in an initial state that can be extended or rejuvenated by additional treatment during the exhaustion or consumption of the processing liquid. The processing liquid is removed from the batch following the efflux of the batch of material from the processing apparatus so that as the last of the processing fluid is removed, a cleansing liquid is introduced to clean the processing apparatus and remove all traces of the processing liquid.

This invention relates to a method or process for the continuous treatment or refining of wide webs of material, such as textiles of fabric and knit goods, tufted webs, fiber floorings, yarn bands, fiber tapes and the like. In the chemical reaction or dye transfer and fixing treatments for materials where the treating liquids is heated to the intended reaction or fixing temperature, independent of the fabric web to be subjected to treatment, every unit of length during the flow through the process of treatment is synchronized with the intake of every batch of material. The material exhibits a chemical and physical property which is identical to its initial state. On the one hand, the process of treatment extends so that in the case of special chemical treatments, an exhaustion or a consumption of the treating agent occurs, resulting in considerable extraction of the dyes from the agent when dyeing is carried out. On the other hand, a considerable shortening occurs with regard to the efficiency and substance exchange between the liquid used for the treatment and/or other means for the enhancement of the efficiency and substance exchange.

In the subject invention, a fully continuous mode of operation is provided in the case of a heating liquid of the aforesaid type. A continuous mode of operation is also attained in the changing of different batches of material and particularly in the case of changing liquids for treatment baths. An essential feature of the invention resides in the fact that initially, the liquid used in the treatment is introduced directly before the batch of material is introduced into the treating device. The treating liquid is also removed from the latter in such a manner that directly following the last batch of the treating liquid and ensuing upon it, a purifying liquid is introduced for the purpose of carrying out a purification treatment of the apparatus, to rid it of the liquid used in the treatment. In the case of a fully continuous treatment of two or more batches of material consecutively with different treatment liquid, then the new treating liquid can be introduced into the treating apparatus immediately following the purification treatment. It has been found expedient in actual practice to charge or introduce the treating liquid into the treating apparatus some two to five meters in advance of every batch of fabric, allowing it to continue for some two to five meters at the termination of the batch of fabric, carrying out the purification treatment for about 10 to 15 meters during the run of an intermediate traveller. It is also feasible prior to and/or following the discharging batch, to switch in or connect auxiliary webs such as leading or pre-travellers, and post or after travellers of about two to five meters in length, preferably with the same aflinities or properties to the treating agent in the treating liquid. The pro-travellers and intermediate travellers should preferably be fabrics with either none or only a slight afiinity to the treating agents in the treating liquid, such as, for example, specially impregnated polyester trains. For the purification treatment, hot water can normally be used, and if desired, purification agents can be admixed.

It is particularly expedient to have all of the processes carried out in a fully automatic manner. This can be accomplished substantially by conventional means. For example, the control pulses can be triggered by photoelectric scanning or sensing of markings on the pro-travellers, post-travellers and intermediate travellers or other suitable means which are diversely known and which are also employed to a large extent.

In the invention, the overall control of the technique can be carried out fully for the first time by means of a computer. This renders it feasible to carry out the operation in a fully continuous manner, say from Monday morning until Friday evening without any manual servicing.

A treating apparatus for implementing the technique should be so devised that all parts which come into contact with the treating liquid should be provided with surfaces which reject smooth dirt or treating agents. The paths of flow for the treating liquid should be devised, in the case of the treating apparatus, in a manner to favor the flow and without any dead angles, so as to render possible the total discharge of the liquid from the treating apparatus without leaving any residual quantities. It has been found advantageous for the overall intermediate traveller to consist of the highly inert intermediate traveller, 10 to 15 meters in length, and an auxiliary pretraveller and/0r post auxiliary post-traveller from two to five meters in length. The auxiliary pre-traveller consists preferably of inexpensive waste yarns, such as, for example, a fiber fleece with a firmer filler. This traveller exhibits nearly the same aflinities to the treating liquid or processing agent as the original train. Then the technically appropriate concentration always prevails in the area of the continuous initial piece, and the end piece of the original train to be processed. One is able to dispense with one or both pre-travellers or after-travellers by imparting to the processing liquid a slight, otherwise imperceptible pre-traveller or after-traveller as against the pre-treated original train.

The technique according to the invention is, of course, not confined to 'hot liquid treatment, but it can be employed to good advantage to any other processing liquids.

It is, therefore, an object according to the present invention to provide a process for the continuous treatment and refinement of wide webs of moving material such as fabrics, wherein the treatment bath is automatically removed at the efliux of the web of material and a cleansing fluid applied to clean the processing apparatus.

It is another object according to the present invention to provide a process for the continuous refinement of travelling webs of material which is simple in design, efficient to operate and inexpensive in cost.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying example which discloses the embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the example is designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

EXAMPLE Drawn into the processing apparatus is a pre-traveller, whereupon the apparatus is filled with hot Water and heated.

An additional pre-traveller can be connected between the pre-traveller and the batch of material.

All of the batches of material to be processed are joined to each other by means of intermediate travellers. about to meters in length and possibly additional intermediate travellers of two to five meters in length, while the additional intermediate travellers, if so indicated, are sewed together with the additional intermediate travellers and the batches of material. Then the apparatus is actuated.

The processing liquid flows with a pre-run traveller of about two to five meters ahead of the first batch (depending on the overall volume of the transversely mixing system of the processing apparatus), into the facility. Upon the influx of the end of the batch, the processing liquid continues to flow for about two to five meters to travel. During a length of flow of 10 to 15 meters of the intermediate traveller, and, if so indicated, also the additional intermediate traveller, there is a flow of hot water, preferably with an admixture of cleansing agents, into the processing apparatus. Since all of the structural parts came into contact only with the processing liquid, all residual quantities of the processing liquid which have been flowing previously, are removed.

Then fresh processing liquid, with a pre-traveller of two to three meters, once again flows in with the next batch.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a process for the continuous treatment of wide webs of material, such as textile fabrics and the like, in a processing apparatus utilizing chemical reactions and transfer dyes which are treated and heated at the intended dye fixing temperatures, every unit of length of the material to be treated being coordinated with the quantity of processing liquid flowing synchronously with the web of material to maintain an identical chemical and physical quality during the consumption and exhaustion of the processing liquid in order to increase the efiiciency in substance exchange between the processing liquid and the material web, the improvement comprising the steps of:

attaching at least one pre-traveler to the leading end of each of a plurality of batches of material, attaching at least one intermediate traveler between batches of material, and drawing said pre-traveler into the processing apparatus;

introducing processing liquid into the processing apparatus upon the entry of said pre-traveler;

removing the processing liquid from the processing apparatus following the exit of the batch of material from the processing liquid; introducing a cleansing fluid into the processing apparatus for cleaning and removing the processing liquid from the processing apparatus during travel of said intermediate traveler through the apparatus;

removing the cleansing fluid from the processing apparatus upon exit of said intermediate traveler; and

introducing fresh processing liquid into the processing apparatus following said step of removing the cleansing fluid, so as to permit continuous treatment of one or more batches of material moving consecutively through the processing apparatus using different processing liquids.

2. The process as recited in claim 1 wherein said intermediate traveler is 1015 meters in length between material batches, wherein said fresh processing liquid is added with a pre-traveler of about 2-5 meters, and continues to be added for about 2-5 meters of post travel along the length of said intermediate traveler.

3. The process as recited in claim 2 additionally comprising connecting at least one after traveller of about five meters in length to at least the end of each batch, said after traveller having identical properties as the material web with respect to the processing liquid.

4. The process as recited in claim 2 additionally comprising connecting at least one after traveller of about five meters in length to at least the end of each batch, said after traveller having no identical properties as the material web with respect to the processing liquid.

5. The process as recited in claim 2, wherein said step of cleansing comprises adding hot water admixed with a cleansing agent to the processing apparatus.

6. The process as recited in claim 2 additionally comprising the step of treating the surface of the processing apparatus to repel mud and processing agents.

7. The process as recited in claim 3, wherein the paths of flow for the processing liquid in the processing apparatus are designed to promote flow and ensure the absence of dead angles.

8. The process as recited in claim 1 wherein said intermediate traveller comprises a highly inert traveller of about 10-15 meters in length and a post traveller of about two to five meters in length between consecutive batches.

9. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein said travellers comprise inexpensive waste yarn of fiber fleece having a firm filler and exhibiting almost identical aflinities to the processing liquid with respect to the material web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,531,997 3/1925 Stelter 68-207 X 2,583,267 1/1952 Jones et a1. 68-207 X 3,019,631 2/1962 Freyberg 68-178 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 8-158 

